Thai Prime Minister Seta Thaksin announced on the 13th that Thailand will implement a visa free system for Chinese tourists for about 5 months starting from September 25th. Seta told the media after a cabinet meeting on the same day that Thailand will exempt Chinese tourists from visas from the 25th of this month until February 29, 2024. The spokesman of the Thai Prime Minister's Office, Jai Vacheron, said at the press conference on the same day that tourism is an important engine of Thailand's economy. Although Thailand's tourism industry grew last year, it has not yet recovered to the level before the COVID-19 epidemic. He said that Thailand plans to attract 28 million foreign tourists this year, achieving 2.4 trillion baht (approximately 67.17 billion US dollars) in tourism revenue. In 2024, the Thai government will promote the comprehensive recovery of the tourism industry to pre pandemic levels, attracting 40 million foreign tourists. Gue Wachalong also stated that China is one of the main target markets for Thailand's tourism industry. Next, Thailand will launch a tourism promotion specifically targeting Chinese tourists and establish a special group to explain negative news related to Thailand on the internet to Chinese tourists. According to the latest data released by the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, as of September 10th, 2.284 million Chinese tourists have entered Thailand this year. (New News Agency)